In the 1990s, utilities and federal and state regulators began forming independent system operators (ISOs) and regional transmission organizations (RTOs) as transmission and generation of electricity was deregulated. The ISO and/or RTO (hereafter Energy Market Operator, EMO) coordinate generation and transmission of electric power across wide geographic regions, matching power generation to load instantaneously to balance the supply of and demand for electricity. These organizations forecast load and schedule generation to assure sufficient capacity and back-up power in case demand rises, a power-plant goes offline or a power line is lost. The primary role of the EMO is to ensure equal access to the power grid for non-utility firms, enhance the reliability of the transmission system and operate wholesale electricity markets. The markets control payment and settlement between wholesale producers, marketers, transmission and distribution service providers (TDSP), owners and buyers including other EMOs.
TDSP entities are generally responsible for the transmission and distribution of energy through power lines that they maintain and typically own. The TDSP entities typically also own the metering devices attached to residential and commercial customer's facility, servicing the meters and reading them periodically.
A Public Utilities Commission (PUC) regulates the delivery of electricity including reliability and safety, rates and terms, setting the operating standards for the TDSPs. The PUC typically oversees the regional EMO market, for example by reviewing proposals for new transmission facilities or generators. The PUC enforces rules and regulations for retail competition, including customer protections, pricing rules and the implementation of energy goals. The PUC also regulates licensing and rules enforcement.
An example of an EMO is the Energy Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) which manages the Texas power grid, an example of a TDSP is TXU Energy Delivery; an example of a PUC is the Texas Public Utilities Commission.
The operation of a wholesale deregulated electricity market by the EMO enables local retail electricity providers (REPs) to buy and sell electricity. The market supplies the REPs with a means for meeting consumer needs for power at the lowest possible costs. An example of a REP is Ambit Energy, Inc. of Dallas, Tex.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,618,709 to Sneeringer discloses a method and architecture for web-based monitoring of energy-related usage for energy clients is disclosed. Sneeringer teaches recording resource usage measured by a resource meter on a resource metering data recorder and then, polling the resource metering data recorder and storing the resource usage in a searchable database. An energy customer is allowed to access the resource metering data via a web interface.
Martin et al., in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2002/0120519, disclose collecting energy customer data from a group of energy customers. Martin further discloses a process of individually evaluating and generating a load profile of consumers of utility services based on their historical usage information. A provider may define or select an aggregated group of consumers based on a consumer's individual profile, then bid to provide services to the aggregated group of customers.
Spool et al., in U.S. Patent Publication No. 2003/0046252, disclose a load profile estimator based on using historical meter data where aggregate load profile estimates can employ load models based on historical meter and weather data including near term meter data and current calendar day as inputs.
Therefore, there is a need for a system incentivizing a customer for using managed energy services while the customer is in a retail environment.
There is also a need for a system in which a REP provides remotely managed advertisements in a retail store environment to energy customers. Further, there is a need to enable retail customers to pay energy bills and manage energy accounts in a convenient public location.